Finland Leapfrogs Sweden In Competitiveness, New Report Says

By

Mathias Ask

Jun 10, 2014 11:11 am ET

Finland leapfrogged Sweden as the most competitive nation in the European Union, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. The Netherlands spoiled the chance of a Scandinavian podium by advancing to third and leaving Denmark in fourth place.

The report once again highlighted the stark regional differences within the EU. The rankings read almost like the itinerary of a road trip from north to south. The countries included in the top ten remained unchanged from the last rankings released in 2012 as the U.K., Luxembourg, Belgium and France held on to their spots. Malta made the biggest leap from 18th to 14th, while Slovenia dropped from 13th to 16th. The bottom three were Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. The EU’s newest member, Croatia, came in at 24th, behind Slovakia and ahead of Hungary.